The Idea of Sound with Terry Riley

Minimalist composer Terry Riley’s revolutionary 1964 classic In C provided a new concept in musical form, changing the course of 20th-century music. His hypnotic, multilayered, brightly orchestrated improvisations and compositions based on interlocking repetitive patterns set the stage for the prevailing interest in a new tonality, making him one of the most important living composers. Riley has been cited as a major influence by composers Phillip Glass and John Adams, and rock band The Who. During the six-day residency at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, running from January 4–9, 2017, Riley improvises solo as part of a series of in-gallery programs focusing on core ideas in the exhibition Doug Aitken: Electric Earth.

Riley will create a series of improvisational performances in dialogue with the multiple moving image installations inside the exhibition Doug Aitken: Electric Earth. In each performance, Riley will use a combination of instruments to explore and respond to the different environments within the exhibition, including the multi-video-channel works migration (empire) (2008) and SONG 1 (2012/2015).

The Idea of Sound with Terry Riley

During this six-day residency, minimalist composer Terry Riley improvises both in solo and with collaborators as part of a series of in-gallery programs focusing on core ideas in the exhibition Doug Aitken: Electric Earth.​